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Nathan Penney vs. Northern New Mexico
Kaitlyn Silva
Nathan Penney (3) looks for the next pass against the Eagles in Whalen Gymnasium (Nov. 16, 2024)

Skyhawks set to close out non-conference schedule in Grand Junction

11/21/2024 11:30:00 AM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
Fort Lewis vs. Emporia State
Friday, Nov. 22, 5:30 p.m. | Brownson Arena | Grand Junction, Colo.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Fort Lewis vs. Bowie State
Saturday, Nov. 23, 5:30 p.m. | Brownson Arena | Grand Junction, Colo.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis men's basketball team (3-3) will cap its non-conference schedule on the road this Friday and Saturday with a pair of neutral-site contests against Emporia State (1-3) and Bowie State (3-2) up in Brownson Arena on the campus of Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
Back Even
Fort Lewis battled back to an even 3-3 record last weekend after picking up back-to-back wins over Western New Mexico (0-4) and Northern New Mexico (1-9) by scores of 71-62 and 78-60, respectively.  While the Skyhawks shot a season's-best 46.4 percent from the floor against the Eagles, it was a combined 51 turnovers forced over the weekend that amounted to 70 total points off turnovers for Fort Lewis and a Week Two RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award for Stewart Erhart. In two games, Erhart scored 13 points while nabbing six steals, handing out six assists, and pulling down ten rebounds.
 
Early Leaders
Three Skyhawks are averaging double figures through the first six games of the year, including Biko Johnson, Chuol Deng, and Tru Allen. Johnson leads the roster with 15.7 points on 47.2 percent shooting from the field. Deng leads all players and ranks fourth in the league with 7.8 rebounds per game while also scoring 13.2 points and blocking 1.7 shots per game. Allen rounds out the trio with 10.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, but most notably, has handed out 21 assists and made eight steals.
 
First Meeting with the Hornets
Friday night's contest will mark the first matchup between the Skyhawks and the Hornets. Emporia State comes from the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a Division II conference, and Fort Lewis owns an 18-24 record against its active member institutions. Following a 19-12 record in 2023-24, Emporia State is since off to a 1-3 record to start the year.
 
The Hornets' lone victory came back way of an 83-69 over Northern State (1-3). Four players finished in double figures led by sophomore forward Dallas Bear who scored 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a 4-8 clip from beyond the arc. Bear is averaging 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this season.
 
Leading ESU is junior guard Malik Edwards Jr., who shoots a lethal 51.1 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from the three-point line for 17 points per game with 3.5 rebounds per game as well. Sophomore guard Brayson Laube is the only other Hornet to average double-digit scoring with 13.3 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting. Donald Coats III leads all players with 7.8 rebounds per game. As a unit, Emporia State averages 75.5 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting while hitting at 35.9 percent from deep and hauling in 36.5 rebounds.
 
First Meeting with the Bulldogs
Bowie State will be another first-time opponent for the Skyhawks and will double-down as FLC's first opponent from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 2023-24, Bowie State posted a 12-17 overall record before falling to Fayetteville State 77-53 in the CIAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
 
This year, the Bulldogs are off to a 3-2 start after having won three of its last four contests and, most recently, by a narrow 68-67 margin over Frostburg State (1-4) thanks to a buzzer-beating layup from Elijah Davis who had six points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in the win.
 
As a unit, Bowie State shoots an effective 45.0 percent from the field en route to 80.0 points per game but struggles from the three-point line at a combined 28.7 percent while also being out-rebounded by a -7.0 margin with 34.6 boards per contest. Individually, four Bulldogs are averaging double figures thus far, including junior forward Amare Wimbush (18.3), junior guard Warren Mouganda (13.4), sophomore forward Kevon Corley (11.8), and Davis, a senior guard, with 10.8 points per game.
 
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Race
The sprint to the 2025 RMAC Tournament begins on Thursday, Dec. 5, when the Skyhawks host the no. 19-ranked Roadrunners from MSU Denver (3-1) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Whalen Gymnasium.
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